Snare-drum damper.



R. HOPE-JONES. SNARE DRUM DAMPER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED M11921, 1911.

4 a m M Ma n n m Mr m d w o h w 3 a w 1 a COLUMBIA PLANOORAPHCD-IWASHINGTON, l1v c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HOPE-JONES, OF NORTH TON'AIVANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNO'R TO THERUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SNARE-DRUM DAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. April 21, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Serial No. 622,502.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT Horn-JONES, asubjectof the King of England, and resident of North Tonawanda, in thecounty of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Snare-Drum Dampers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a damper or niuitier for snare drums, andparticularly inclosed snare drums of automatic musical instruments suchas pianos, organs and orchestrions. When such drums are placed nearorgan pipes, especially the flute-pipes, the sounding of the lattercauses the snares to vibrate when the drum is silent and to buzzunpleasantly by contact with the drum head.

The object of my invention is the provi- SiOn of simple automatic meansfor preventing such vibration of the snares while permitting theirnormal action when the drum is tapped.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of asnare drum em bodying the invention, showing the snaredamper controlledby the pneumatic action of an automatic musical instrument, the damperbeing in its inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary verticalsection similar to Fig. 1, showing the damper in its operative position.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

A indicates the body of the drum and a its snares which are stretchedacross its rear head in the customary manner.

B indicates the drum stick which may be vibrated by any suitable meansbut is preferably actuated by a pneumatic repeating mechanism controlledby a tracker board G and a perforated music sheet C The preferredmechanism shown in the drawings is of a common type and comprises themotor pneumatic D to the movable board of which the drum stick issecured; the wind board E containing the suction chamber e,- the valvechamber f connected with said suction chamber by a port f and with theouter atmosphere by ports the double valve 9, g controlling said portsand actuated by the diaphragm g in the suction chamber 6,- a passage 72.connecting the motor pneumatic with the valve chamber; ports 2', 11leadlng from the top of the valve board E to opposite sides of thediaphragm g and the slide valve controlling the last-named ports andconnected with the movable board of the motor pneumatic by a rod j. Thesuction chamber of the repeating mechanism is connected by a tube 70with the suction chamber L of the main wind chest L of the automaticmusical instrument with which the drum is associated. This chest may beof any suitable or well known construction, that illustrated in thedrawings containing the usual valve chamber Z connected by ports Z withthe suction chamber L and by ports Z with a chamber Z leading to theouter atmosphere; the valves m, m controlling the ports Z Zrespectively, and the diaphragm or pneumatic m for operating saidvalves. The chamber beneath this diaphragm is connccted by a tube wawith the corresponding duct of the tracker board, so that whenever adrum-perforation of the music sheet registers with said duct thevibrating or repeating mechanism of the drum-stick is actuated, whileunder other conditions said mechanism remains at rest, in a manner wellunderstood by those skilled in the art.

The improved snare damper in a broad sense consists of an automaticallycontrolled part or member which presses the snares firmly against thedrum head when the drum is silent to prevent rattling or buzzing of thesnares and which clears and releases the snares when the drum is played.This damper is preferably actuated by pneumatic means combined with thesame mechanism which controls the actuating devices of the drum stick,but I do not wish to limit myself to that particular type of actuatingmechanism or the details shown in the drawings as the same may bemodified within the scope of the invention.

In its preferred embodiment the damper consists of a stationary bar orstrip N secured diametrically across the back of the drum in line withand at a short distance from the snares,by screws a passing throughfacing 0 of felt or other appropriate material and constitutes thedamper proper. Connected with the diaphragm chamber 92 is a tube aleading to the valve chamber 79 of a valve box or chest P. This valvechamber is connected by a port 79 with a pressure chamber Q and by aport 72 with a suc tion chamber 9 in said box, the latter chambers beingconnected by tubes Q3 respectively with suitable sources of pressure andsuction; not shown in the drawings. Valves 9" and 1' respectivelycontrol the ports 29 p, the same being mounted on a stem 1* attached tothe movable board or head of a pneumatic R which is connected with thesuction tube 713 by a branch tube 8, so that said damper actuatingmechanism is under the control of the same valves m, m as the repeatingmechanism of the drum stick.

The operation of the damper is as follows: When a drum-perforation ofthe music sheet registers with the corresponding tracker duct the outeratmosphere raises the diaphragm m of the main wind chest, shifting thevalves m, m to the position shown in Fig. 1. The suction chamber 6 ofthe repeating mechanism is thereby placed in communication with thesuction chamber L of the main wind chest, causing the motor pneumatic Dand the drum stick to vibrate so long as the valves m, m remain in thatposition in a well known manner. At the same time, the air is exhaustedfrom the pneumatic R which by its collapse opens the suction valve r andcloses the pressure valve, as shown in Fig. 1. Air pressure is now outoff from the valve chamber and the chamber a of the damper diaphragm 0and said chamber is connected with the suction chamber g exhausting theair from said diaphragm chamber and withdrawing the damper from the drumsnares. The latter are therefore free to vibrate during-the playing ofthe drum. lVhen a drum perforation of the music sheet breaks registerwith the tracker duct, the position of the wind chest valves m, m isreversed in a well known manner, cutting off communication between thesuction chamber L of said chest and the corresponding chamber 6 of therepeating mechanism and allowing the drum stick to remain at rest. Atthe same time the pneumatic R of the damper con trolling mechanism iscut off from the suction chamber L and connected with the chamber Zflushing and expanding said pneumatic and closing the suction valve rand opening the pressure valve. The suction chamber 9 is now cut oilfrom the damper-diaphragm 0 and the air pressure in the chamber g isadmitted thereto through the port 22 valve chamber 79, and tube 12expanding said diaphragm and causing it to press the snares (1. againstthe drum head with suflicient force to prevent the objectionablerattling or buzzing hereinbefore mentioned. When the nextdrum-perforation of the music sheet comes into action the snare damperis again retracted, as before described. The damper-actuating mechanismcomprises but few parts and as it may be combined with the pneumaticaction of the musical instrument, its use involves but slight additionalexpense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a snare-drum, a damper-pneumatic mounted on thedrum and having its movable front side arranged to bear against thesnares when inflated and to clear the same when deflated, and means foralternately inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

The combination of a snare-drum a support extending across the drum overits snares and spaced therefrom, said support being chambered in itsfront side, a damperdiaphragm for the drunrsnares applied to saidsupport and forming the front wall of its chamber and means foralternately inflating and deflating said diaphragm.

3. The combination of a snare-drum, a supporting bar secureddiametrically across the rear side of the drum in line with its snaresand spaced therefrom, a damper for the drum-snares comprising apneumatic applied to the front side of said bar and arranged to pressthe snares against the drum head when inflated, said pneumatic beingsubstantially coextensive with the length and width of the group ofsnares, and means for inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

4. The combination of a snare-drum. a damper-pneumatic arranged oppositethe drum-snares and having a side movable toward and from the same afacing of soft material applied to the movable side of said pneumaticand adapted to bear against the snares when the pneumatic is inflated,and means for alternately inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

\Vitness my hand this 17th day of April,

ROBERT HOPE-JONES. Witnesses C. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

